The present invention relates generally to abrasion systems and methods for abrading a surface in a controlled manner and, more particularly, to a portable or adaptable microabrasion system that operates to perform dermabrasion in a controlled manner with improved efficiency, hygiene, and finish.
Microdermabrasion techniques and systems are well known to those skilled in the art. A typical dermabrasion system includes a pneumatic drive such as either a negative pressure system or a positive pressure system, that delivers an ablative material from a supply point to a hand piece, also known as a wand, which has a small aperture to be placed upon a patient""s skin during the abrasion process. In the negative pressure system, such as one utilizing a vacuum for pneumatic drive, the closing of the aperture by the skin completes the pneumatic circuit drawing the abrasive material to the skin to perform dermabrasion. The refuse and debris after the abrasive procedure is vacuumed away into a waste storage container for disposal.
Each stage of operation within current dermabrasion systems suffer problems that prevent optimal and efficient operation on a subject or patient. One problem is the handling of the abrasive material at the supply point. Typical supply points utilize abrasive supply containers that are permanently mounted and must be refilled when empty. These containers are usually difficult to access and lead to waste and unnecessary exposure to the abrasive material during filling. Further, due to the dynamics of the content level changing, the systems fail to deliver consistent amounts of abrasive material from the supply containers to the hand piece. As such, the results of the abrasive operation are inconsistent and vary in the length of time normally needed to perform an typically procedure/session. As the container goes from full to empty, performance can suffer severely, with as much as a 75% reduction in abrasive concentration in the air stream. Additionally, few, if any, systems are able to utilize all the contents of the supply container before needing refilling.
An additional problem with current supply containers is that they draw upon ambient air. Ambient air is often humid and the moisture therein causes the moisture-sensitive abrasive to agglomerate and subsequently clog the system. This is especially a problem in that most systems utilize a small output aperture that clogs easily, particularly when the abrasive material becomes damp with humidity, leading to clumping and clogging and generally inconsistent delivery of abrasive. Often, the existing systems are induced to employ mechanical or pneumatic means, such as spring-loaded rods or compressed air, to periodically clear the restricted output aperture.
Another part of the abrasive delivery system is an abrasive/concentration control system. Most systems lack such a control system. The control system""s purpose is to control the amount of abrasive delivered to the hand piece during operation. Some systems utilize an electronic control that causes pulses resulting in pressure surges and non-uniform delivery of the abrasive. Other systems utilize control systems that are difficult to adjust, hard to reset and fail to provide repeatable consistent results for subsequent treatments.
The hand piece is a critical component of any dermabrasion system. Hand pieces suffer several problems. One problem is that the apertures tend to restrict the flow of the abrasive material to the skin as well as hinder removal of the abraded material and the abrasive during the abrasion procedure. Further, the dermabrasion procedure involves removal of skin and sometimes blood, so there is concern that the use of the same wand from patient to patient is unsanitary and unhealthy. Attempts to make the hand piece more hygienic by having disposable and replaceable wand tips has been unsuccessful as the tips merely prevent contamination at the aperture level without addressing a problem known as back contamination, which occurs when refuse debris within the wand from a previous procedure contaminates the wand tip in spite of the replacement of a fresh tip.
Further, some hand pieces are designed without thought about how the hand piece is to be cleaned. As such, these pieces are difficult to clean and therefore, undesirable for long term use. Also, most hand pieces are expensive to manufacture. They can be heavy and awkward to use, such that the technician suffers discomfort and fatigue during long sessions or over several sessions during the same day. Since the piece needs to be small enough to handle, they often have restricted flow paths that detrimentally affect flow rate and delivery of the abrasive for optimal results and for quick pick up of the waste debris.
Another element of the dermabrasion system includes a waste recovery or accumulation container system. Most systems are permanently mounted and are difficult to access, empty, and clean. The containers collect abrasive dust along with skin cells, and bodily fluids, which may contain microbes or other undesirable elements. As such, the containers must be emptied and cleaned periodically. Failure to clean the container can result in unwanted growths and other hazardous health risks that should be avoided at all times.
The waste accumulation systems often have small exhaust apertures that can easily clog with waste products resulting in restricted air flow within the overall system. Moreover, filter elements are also employed to prevent abrasive and debris out flow into the vacuum source. Such filters are a major source of clogging and reduction of optimal air flow within the entire system, thereby leading to poor dermabrasion results since less abrasive material is being carried within the system at a reduced speed. Similar to the supply system, one solution has been to use back pressure to clear and clean the filters or unplug the clogs in the waste accumulation system, but this adds cost and complexity to the overall design, which can result in mechanical failure, decreased abrasion performance, and increased costs of production and operation.
Accordingly, what is needed is a dermabrasion system and method that overcomes the problems of the prior art. Specifically, what is needed is a dermabrasion system that controls the dispersion of the abrasive material over the entire range of operation uniformly and consistently over the prior art methods. Further, what is needed is a method and system for handling the abrasive material prior to the ablative operation and afterwards during the collection of the contaminated materials. Further still what is needed is a hand piece that is lightweight and easily cleaned to meet high health safety standards, yet allows for high air flow.
According to the present invention, a method and system for performing abrasion on a surface, such as on the skin of a patient, is disclosed. The dermabrasion apparatus includes means for delivering and retrieving material to and from a selected site to be abraded, a delivery and retrieval hand piece, an abrasive handling device, and a waste retrieval holding device. The hand piece is coupled to the abrasive handling device as well as the waste retrieval holding device, which is further coupled to the delivery and retrieval means. The abrasive handling device further includes an abrasive supply device, a receiving channel, a feeding chamber, and a delivery channel. The abrasive supply device typically is a canister fitted with a funnel-shaped spout that is inverted into the receiving channel. The receiving channel feeds abrasive to the feeding chamber. The delivery and retrieval means, typically a vacuum source that generates a pneumatic air supply within the abrasion apparatus, causes the abrasive within the feeding-chamber to loft in an arc such that it reaches the delivery channel. The abrasive travels through the delivery channel under pressure to the hand piece, which is utilized to apply the abrasive to the surface and then retrieve the waste debris from the procedure. The abrasion apparatus may also include a massage or body contouring system, which also utilizes the vacuum source.
Further, the receiving channel extends within the feeding chamber and serves to limit or control the amount of abrasive filling the feeding chamber. The receiving chamber""s height, relative to its location within the feeding chamber, can be adjusted by way of an height adjustment means. The feeding chamber typically comprises top and bottom portions as well as generally sloped side walls that slope inwardly from the top to the bottom. Such geometries lend themselves to the shapes including funnels, inverted pyramids, bowl shapes, and other geometries where the walls are sloped in such a fashion so that the abrasives accumulate in a concentrated point at the bottom. Placed between the supply device and the feeding channel is an additional chamber that provides for the abrasive to feed within the receiving channel without blocking the insertion of the funnel within the supply device. The feeding chamber is further coupled to an ambient air supply with a filter interspersed between ambient and the feeding chamber to prevent unwanted matter from being drawn within the apparatus as well as to prevent abrasive from spilling out an open aperture where the ambient port is located.
The dermabrasion hand piece comprises a body having a first end, a second end, a delivery channel, and a retrieval channel. The delivery channel extends the length of the body and the retrieval channel is concentric with the delivery channel, but has a larger diameter. A delivery aperture is located at the first end of the body. A retrieval aperture is placed adjacent and generally concentric with the delivery aperture. The delivery aperture is coupled to the delivery channel while the retrieval aperture is coupled to the retrieval channel. The dermabrasion hand piece further includes a dermabrasion tip that has a first end, which is removably mounted to the first end of the body, a second end, and a delivery aperture in the second end. The delivery aperture is generally concentric with the delivery channel and the delivery aperture. The tip is generally dome shaped and is made from a high density plastic or metal to withstand the abrading effects of the abrasive during operation. At the second end of the body are located an intake aperture and an outlet aperture. The intake aperture is concentric with the delivery channel while the outlet aperture is connected to the retrieval channel and is offset from the intake aperture.
The body may be further comprised of two portions, a body section and an end portion. Inserted between the end portion and the body portion is a hollow tube, which serves as the delivery channel. Further included in the hand piece is a nozzle that is placed at the first end of the body adjacent the delivery aperture. The nozzle has an opening for concentrating the abrasive as it passes through the nozzle. Further included is an optional nose tube, which is concentric with the delivery channel and the nozzle, and is placed adjacent the nozzle at the first end of the body. The tip mounts to the first end of the body and an anti-bleed seal is provided by an O-ring mounted on the first end of the body and engages with an inner-perimeter of the first end of the tip.
The waste debris collection device includes a waste can receiver, a waste canister, and a filter. The waste canister includes an intake port and return port. The intake port is coupled to the hand piece and the return port exits to ambient and includes a filter to prevent waste debris from being discharged to ambient. The waste canister typically is the same type of canister that is used initially to feed the abrasive to the feed chamber. The waste canister removably couples to the waste can receiver and a filter is fitted between the waste can receiver and the waste canister. The filter has a center intake port aperture in which the intake port passes, but the return path of the air drawn by vacuum passes through the filter, thus trapping the waste debris within the waste canister. A filter frame is used to support and retain the filter in position between the waste can receiver and the waste canister where the filter has substantially the same area as the opening of the waste canister. Pliable retention rings are used to secure the filter in place between the waste canister and the filter frame support.